London

I go to London for the day occasionally -- taking the first train up and the last one back. It's really a hop, skip and a jump. Two hours and 35-minutes to and from each city's center. Naturally, I buy my tickets on the BP Eurail site. Don't forget the senior discount if you qualify!

Hi Teresa,

Welcome back!!! You catch the Eurostar at the Gare du Nord. It was fun to experience that huge station, with all its hustle and bustle...shops, etc. And the train ride was painless. It's a great way to travel!

Nina, I have never used the eurostar, but am very interested ... where do you get on it? My husband will only do it if it's super convenient. You really had a great trip!

Actually in England there is not that much of a sugar "problem" as there is fat even in desserts. Pudding is a generic term for dessert in England and I will guarantee that your sticky toffee pudding was based on fat drippings.The pudding itself is mostly lard. The toffee is what they call treacle which I can best describe as a very,very thick syrup. If you can forget what you're eating it is quite yummy.

LOL! Between that lunch and all the other fat-and-sugar laden meals we had in Paris, my body is definitely in shock. By the end of the trip, I was ready to come home and get back to healthy eating. But it sure was fun to be bad for a week!

And our pub was the PRINCESS of Wales, but I'm sure those are a dime a dozen, too. We were so hungry at that point and did not want to succumb to a McDs...so grabbed the first pub we could find that would allow kids (our friends brought their 3 boys with them.)

After that pub lunch of pure saturated fat I strongly suggest you don't go for a chlorestoral count for quite a while. Seeing the results will surely give you the 'eart attack that it is known to induce. . Lucky you missed the dessert.

For your info, there are more pubs in England named Prince of Wales than you can shake a stick at.

Our day trip to London was so much fun and it seemed to zip by in an instant. We got on the Eurostar about 8 a.m. in Paris and arrived in London around 10. Love that hour time difference to England. Waited to meet up with our friends at a little cafe in Waterloo station where we had a quite marvelous latte and some British treats. Heaven forbid we should go anywhere without having coffee and food, right? So good to see our friends after 5 years! We went to the new Old Globe Theater and took the tour, which was wonderful. Our guide was hilarious, a grandmotherly woman with a cockney accent who had us all in stitches, telling stories about the way things really were during Shakespeare's times. We went into the theater and sat down and she told us more stories, and some of the actors that were going to be in the matinee that afternoon came on stage to stretch and warm up their voices. Then they all gathered and rehearsed one of the dances. A real treat thrown in for free!

Went back over Waterloo bridge, and looked for someplace to have lunch. Found a pub near Charing Cross Road called the Princess of Wales, and it was great. Had a 1/2 pint of some beer my friend says is one of London's best. Being a wine drinker, I took his word for it, and enjoyed it with our meal of Yorkshire Pudding dippers (gravy for the dipping) and steak & ale pie. Had to skip dessert because of time constraints, but I am determined to try sticky toffee pudding the next time I'm in England. Walked to Trafalgar Square, down the mall to Buckingham Palace. It was the day before the Queen's birthday, so all the flags were out. Went to Westminster Abbey and they had just closed it for the final tour, but we were allowed to go into the cloisters, and also peek our heads into the church. Beautiful. Not sure where we walked to next, but it was over another bridge, and we all had an ice cream, and enjoyed the little bit of time left before heading back to the Eurostar. Slept most of the way back to Paris, so when we arrived at 9 p.m., we were ready to join the nighttime cafe crowd and enjoy a late dinner and dessert in the crisp evening air.

For a lunch that will not consume a great deal of time and just about the greatest sandwiches found anywhere, go to Pret a Manger. They're located all over Londonand are so successful that there are now a growing number in New York.

Nina,

You can do two things together by having lunch at the Tate Gallery's fine restaurant. You'll need a reservation, and it's well worth your time.

Please say hello to the John Martin paintings for me.

I tend to agree with Al, in that such a short time in London should be spent doing things besides eating in grand style, given that you will be in Paris before and after this short trip. If you need to eat, go to a pub that serves a buffet-style meal, or cafeteria style meal where eating and a pint are less than an hour. Have a pint of a good English ale (not Fosters or Amstel), as they are starting to have brewpubs. Save the time for sightseeing. Even the British Museum or Tate Gallery take several hours each. Sorry I can't give specific recommendations, since I tend to stay in the suburbs, such as Kingston-on-Thames, and take the Tube in.

Nina......I wasn't calling you to task for the restaurant bit. It's just that this was the only part of the subject I would comment on. Actually it was directed at a suggestion that you should spend 3 hours of dining when you probably only have barely twice that time available.

My dear Al,

I am ALWAYS concerned about restaurants...such is the nature of a foodie. But you will notice my first question was the way to get the most out of our time, THEN about the restaurants. See, I showed restraint.

Nina

With such a limited time to spend in London on a one day visit (your time being measured in hours) how can you be concerned about restaurants especially coming from Paris. Not having been to London before (and not knowing when again) your time would probably be best spent on a 2 hour sightseeing bus and a planned walking tour in the West End. I wouyld get a travel book of London with such plans.

We just returned from London, the Mayfair area, and had superb meals at The Square, a ** restaurant, The Greenhouse, a * with great expectations for another * soon, and Kai Mayfair, a top rated Chinese restaurant. All offer prix-fixe luncheon menus in the low L30's for three courses. At The Square a two course menu is only L25. The Greenhouse would be my single pick as they are adventurous and offer their take on a number of classic English dishes; the L60 menu will give you an almost three hour epicurian experience. JP

Nina, it's a great question. I wish I could help you, but I don't know the answer. Maybe someone else here will you have some information for you.

Not sure if this topic will be allowed, but I'm taking the chance. My hubby really wants to go to London for the day as he's never been to England and probably won't come anywhere close for a long time. So we plan to get Eurostar tickets and head to London early one morning and come back late in the evening. Has anyone else done this? Any suggestions for getting the most out of our 8-ish hours there? Any restaurant suggestions??

Thanks,
Nina